On September 1, 1946 God worked through nine months of preparation in Don and Mary (Purdum) Lantz's lives to give birth to daughter Karen and join brother Bill in the Lantz family. Don and Mary were very good yet very wounded people. They had courted at Ohio Wesleyan University. They knew they needed help and went to church to learn about the creative and redemptive God in whom they believed. They nurtured their family in regular worship and teaching. Karen was very bright and inquisitive and one of the first John Glenn Scholars at Muskingum College. She and her husband to be, Gary, were also very good yet very wounded people. They courted and shared classes and regular worship. They married in September of 1968 and went off to seminary, culminating in a year of study Heidelberg, West Germany. Coming back to the US, God called them to ministry in Nevada, Ohio and worked through them to form a family with the births of Michael Stephen and then Jeremy Christopher. They served God in churches in Ohio and in 1984 God called them to First Congregational Church of Traverse City, Michigan. Karen used her gifts of compassion and communication throughout her life. Her partnership in God's work was sincere and often behind the scenes. Many were blessed by her FCC newsletter and her Care Team Ministry. She and Gary mentored many couples to be married and sponsored numerous people on the Emmaus Walk and The Alpha Course. She and Gary hosted countless small study groups in their home. She was also a key organizer supporting many Ukrainians who settled in Traverse City. Her soul was formed in worship and prayer where she practiced trusting in the creative and redemptive Triune God. She coached her children to become learners and lovers as followers of Jesus Christ. They once gave her a sweat shirt with the Motto, "The grammarian about whom your mother warned you." She is survived by her husband Gary and sons Mike and Jeremy, grandchildren Katie, Peter, Nae, Marcus, Jenny, Tony, Rachel, Kincade, Mikaela and Kamryn. She was preceded in death by both parents and brother Bill, and grandson Marquice. On July 16 about 10:45 A.M. she returned from whence she came and joined God's heavenly choir singing God's glory.